Taiwan Home Cooking

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It's good to head home before any long journey, so we scheduled a trip to good ol' Chiayi, Taiwan. We were greeted by old friends both Chinese and expat. Needless to say, as soon as we hit the ground, we started eating. And eating. Nick and XieYun had opened their breakfast shop in March and Chinese hospitality demands that guests be stuffed, and stuffed we are. We have been enjoying an unending stream of old favorites. Fried chicken and egg breakfast sandwiches, danbings (take that Wynne), chicken rice, beef noodles, intestine hot pot soup, dragon fruit, tangerines, salty dried plums, squid on a stick, the best food in the world--so far.

Let us not forget the tea. Tea shops are everywhere and not one is in danger of going out of business. I had forgotten how refreshing 700cc of pure Taiwan tea can be. I had also forgotten how much caffeine is hiding in one of those cups. It seems I can't drink 3 cups a day anymore.

Nick and XieYun, the proud owners of the BeFeMin breakfast shop are tea experts. As soon as we finished our fried chicken sandwiches, out came the tiny terracotta teapot and the loose leaf oolong tea--tea from the spot where Chris and I were married, served in cups from our wedding reception. Needless to say, we'll be picking up a couple of packets before we leave. There's nothing in the world like it.

And then there's the night market. The Taiwanese take meat on a stick to great heights. We enjoyed our fair share while trying, without success, to grab some awesome toys from one of the multitude of claw machines.

Oh Taiwanese food, how we have missed you.

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Photos

Sleepin
This fruit seller sleeps the afternoon away on busy Wenhua (Culture) Rd.

XieYun at the BeFeMin Breakfast Shop
After years of saving XieYun, once the secretary at my school in the country, opened a breakfast shop downtown. She actually giggled when she placed a chicken sandwich in front of me. "I made this," she said.

The Mighty Jibao
BeFeMin's star attraction. The fried chicken fried egg sandwich. **drool**

A Light Lunch
Minutes after eating our awesome Taiwanese breakfast, XieYun runs out to buy us a light lunch.

Oolong Tea
Tiny teapot, tiny cups and the best tea in the world.

Meat on a Stick
One of the Chiayi night markets many meat on a stick stands. Mmm...meat on a stick.

Squid on a Stick
They're like the corn dogs of the sea.